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Structure of Courts
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Function
Below are all of the laws that govern the structure of courts that match your search criteria.
86 Results
| State | Statute | Description/Statute Name | Statutory language | Court/legal body | Function | |
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New Hampshire | N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 490-F:2 | Circuit Court; General |
The circuit court shall be a court of record with statewide jurisdiction. Each circuit court location shall have the authority to hear all cases within the subject matter jurisdiction of the circuit court. Subject to part 1, article 17 of the New Hampshire constitution, nothing in this chapter shall prohibit the reassignment of cases within the circuit court as justice or efficiency requires in the discretion of the administrative judge of the circuit court.
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Circuit Court | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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New Hampshire | N.H. Rev. Stat. § 502-A:11 | Criminal Cases; District Court |
Each district court shall have the powers of a justice of the peace and quorum throughout the state and shall have original jurisdiction, subject to appeal, of all crimes and offenses committed within the confines of the district in which such court is located which are punishable by a fine not exceeding $2,000 or imprisonment not exceeding one year, or both, including all violations of the provisions of RSA 266:16 and RSA 266:25 pertaining to vehicles exceeding permitted size or weight, regardless of whether the defendant is a natural person or any other person.
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District Court | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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New Hampshire | N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 490:4 | Jurisdiction |
The supreme court shall have general superintendence of all courts of inferior jurisdiction to prevent and correct errors and abuses, including the authority to approve rules of court and prescribe and administer canons of ethics with respect to such courts, shall have exclusive authority to issue writs of error, and may issue writs of certiorari, prohibition, habeas corpus, and all other writs and processes to other courts, to corporations and to individuals, and shall do and perform all the duties reasonably requisite and necessary to be done by a court of final jurisdiction of questions of law and general superintendence of inferior courts.
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Supreme Court | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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New Hampshire | N.H. Rev. Stat. § 591-A:1 | Superior Court |
The superior court has jurisdiction of all criminal cases and proceedings; but it may dismiss a prosecution originally begun therein which is within the jurisdiction of a circuit court. |
Superior Court | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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New Hampshire | N.H. Rev. Stat. § 5912-B:1 | Jurisdiction |
The superior court shall have exclusive jurisdiction over felony complaints and misdemeanors and violation level charges that are directly related to those felonies. The superior court shall also have jurisdiction over de novo appeals of class A misdemeanors pursuant to RSA 599:1.
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Superior Court | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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New Hampshire | N.H. Rev. Stat. § 502-A:17-a | Transfers to Supreme Court |
In any criminal case or civil cause in any district court, questions of law may be transferred to the supreme court in the same manner as that from the superior court under RSA 491:17; provided that the district court justice hearing the case to be transferred shall, if either party requests it, file as a part of the transferred case his findings, in writing, stating the facts found and his rulings of law.
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Supreme Court | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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New Hampshire | N.H. Rev. Stat. § 591-A:2 | Appeals to Superior Court |
The superior court has jurisdiction of all appeals in criminal cases from district or municipal courts. |
Superior Court | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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Texas | Tex. Const. Art. 5 Sec. 1 | Judicial power; courts in which vested |
The judicial power of this State shall be vested in one Supreme Court, in one Court of Criminal Appeals, in Courts of Appeals, in District Courts, in County Courts, in Commissioners Courts, in Courts of Justices of the Peace, and in such other courts as may be provided by law.
The Legislature may establish such other courts as it may deem necessary and prescribe the jurisdiction and organization thereof, and may conform the jurisdiction of the district and other inferior courts thereto. |
State courts | Creation of the courts |
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Texas | Tex. Con. Art. 5 Sec. 19 | Justices of the peace; jurisdiction; appeals; ex officio notaries public; times and places of holding court |
Justice of the peace courts shall have original jurisdiction in criminal matters of misdemeanor cases punishable by fine only, exclusive jurisdiction in civil matters where the amount in controversy is two hundred dollars or less, and such other jurisdiction as may be provided by law. Justices of the peace shall be ex officio notaries public.
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Justice of the Peace Courts | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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Texas | Tex. Loc. Gov't Code §26.045 | Original Criminal Jurisdiction |
(a) Except as provided by Subsection (c), a county court has exclusive original jurisdiction of misdemeanors other than misdemeanors involving official misconduct and cases in which the highest fine that may be imposed is $500 or less.
(b) Except as provided by Subsection (c), a county court has jurisdiction in the forfeiture and final judgment of bonds and recognizances taken in criminal cases within the court's jurisdiction. (c) Except as provided by Subsections (d) and (f), a county court that is in a county with a criminal district court does not have any criminal jurisdiction. (d) A county court in a county with a population of 1.75 million or more has original jurisdiction over cases alleging a violation of Section 25.093, Education Code, or alleging truant conduct under Section 65.003(a), Family Code. (e) Subsections (c) and (d) do not affect the jurisdiction of a statutory county court. (f) A county court has concurrent jurisdiction with a municipal court in cases that arise in the municipality's extraterritorial jurisdiction and that arise under an ordinance of the municipality applicable to the extraterritorial jurisdiction under Section 216.902, Local Government Code. |
Constitutional county courts | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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Texas | Tex. Gov't. Code § 22.001. | Jurisdiction |
(a) The supreme court has appellate jurisdiction, except in criminal law matters, of an appealable order or judgment of the trial courts if the court determines that the appeal presents a question of law that is important to the jurisprudence of the state. The supreme court's jurisdiction does not include cases in which the jurisdiction of the court of appeals is made final by statute.
(b) A case over which the court has jurisdiction under Subsection (a) may be carried to the supreme court by petition for review. |
Supreme Court | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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Texas | Jurisdiction of District Court | Tex. Const. Art. 5 Sec. 8 |
District Court jurisdiction consists of exclusive, appellate, and original jurisdiction of all actions, proceedings, and remedies, except in cases where exclusive, appellate, or original jurisdiction may be conferred by this Constitution or other law on some other court, tribunal, or administrative body. District Court judges shall have the power to issue writs necessary to enforce their jurisdiction.
The District Court shall have appellate jurisdiction and general supervisory control over the County Commissioners Court, with such exceptions and under such regulations as may be prescribed by law. |
Distict Court | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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Texas | Tex. Gov't. Code § 29.003 | Jurisdiction |
(a) A municipal court, including a municipal court of record, shall have exclusive original jurisdiction within the municipality's territorial limits and property owned by the municipality located in the municipality's extraterritorial jurisdiction in all criminal cases that:
(1) arise under: (A) the ordinances of the municipality; or (B) a resolution, rule, or order of a joint board operating an airport under Section 22.074, Transportation Code; and (2) are punishable by a fine not to exceed: (A) $2,000 in all cases arising under municipal ordinances or resolutions, rules, or orders of a joint board that govern fire safety, zoning, or public health and sanitation, other than the dumping of refuse; (B) $4,000 in cases arising under municipal ordinances that govern the dumping of refuse; or (C) $500 in all other cases arising under a municipal ordinance or a resolution, rule, or order of a joint board. (b) The municipal court has concurrent jurisdiction with the justice court of a precinct in which the municipality is located in all criminal cases arising under state law that arise within the municipality's territorial limits or property owned by the municipality located in the municipality's extraterritorial jurisdiction and that: (1) are punishable only by a fine, as defined in Subsection (c); or (2) arise under Chapter 106, Alcoholic Beverage Code, and do not include confinement as an authorized sanction. |
Municipal Court | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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Texas | Tex. Code Crim. Proc. Art. 4.01 | What Courts Have Criminal Jurisdiction |
The following courts have jurisdiction in criminal actions: appointed by the judges of the district courts of Bexar County, Dallas County, Tarrant County, or Travis County that give preference to criminal cases and the magistrates appointed by the judges of the criminal district courts of Dallas County or Tarrant County;
6. The county courts; 7. All county courts at law with criminal jurisdiction; 8. County criminal courts; 9. Justice courts; 10. Municipal courts; 11. The magistrates appointed by the judges of the district courts of Lubbock County; and 12. The magistrates appointed by the El Paso Council of Judges. |
Courts generally | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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Wisconsin | Wis. Stat. § Const. Art. 7, § 3 | Supreme court jurisdiction |
(1) The supreme court shall have superintending and administrative authority over all courts. (2) The supreme court has appellate jurisdiction over all courts and may hear original actions and proceedings. + See moreThe supreme court may issue all writs necessary in aid of its jurisdiction. (3) The supreme court may review judgments and orders of the court of appeals, may remove cases from the court of appeals and may accept cases on certification by the court of appeals.
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Supreme Court | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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Wisconsin | Wis. Stat. § Const. Art. 7, § 5 | Court of appeals jurisdiction |
(1) The legislature shall by law combine the judicial circuits of the state into one or more districts for the court of appeals and shall designate in each district the + See morelocations where the appeals court shall sit for the convenience of litigants. (2) For each district of the appeals court there shall be chosen by the qualified electors of the district one or more appeals judges as prescribed by law, who shall sit as prescribed by law. Appeals judges shall be elected for 6-year terms and shall reside in the district from which elected. No alteration of district or circuit boundaries shall have the effect of removing an appeals judge from office during the judge's term. In case of an increase in the number of appeals judges, the first judge or judges shall be elected for full terms unless the legislature prescribes a shorter initial term for staggering of terms. (3) The appeals court shall have such appellate jurisdiction in the district, including jurisdiction to review administrative proceedings, as the legislature may provide by law, but shall have no original jurisdiction other than by prerogative writ. The appeals court may issue all writs necessary in aid of its jurisdiction and shall have supervisory authority over all actions and proceedings in the courts in the district.
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Courts of Appeals | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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Wisconsin | Wis. Stat. § Const. Art. 7, § 8 | Circuit court jurisdiction |
Except as otherwise provided by law, the circuit court shall have original jurisdiction in all matters civil and criminal within this state and such appellate jurisdiction in the circuit as + See morethe legislature may prescribe by law. The circuit court may issue all writs necessary in aid of its jurisdiction. (emphasis added).
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Circuit Courts | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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Wisconsin | Wis. Stat. § Const. Art. 7, § 14 | Municipal court |
The legislature by law may authorize each city, village and town to establish a municipal court. All municipal courts shall have uniform jurisdiction limited to actions and proceedings arising under + See moreordinances of the municipality in which established. Judges of municipal courts may receive such compensation as provided by the municipality in which established, but may not receive fees of office.
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Municipal Courts | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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Wisconsin | Wis. Stat. § 938.02(2m) | Juvenile court |
[For purposes of Wis. Stat. § 938, which governs the criminal juvenile system] Court, when used without further qualification, means the court assigned to exercise jurisdiction under this chapter and + See morech. 48 or, when used with reference to a juvenile who is subject to s. 938.183, a court of criminal jurisdiction or, when used with reference to a juvenile who is subject to s. 938.17(2), a municipal court.
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Juvenile Courts | Jurisdiction of the courts |
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Wisconsin | Wis. Stat. § Const. Art. 7, § 4 | Supreme court: elections, chief justice, court system administration |
(1) The supreme court shall have 7 members who shall be known as justices of the supreme court. Justices shall be elected for 10-year terms of office commencing with the + See moreAugust 1 next succeeding the election. Only one justice may be elected in any year. Any 4 justices shall constitute a quorum for the conduct of the court's business. (2) The chief justice of the supreme court shall be elected for a term of 2 years by a majority of the justices then serving on the court. The justice so designated as chief justice may, irrevocably, decline to serve as chief justice or resign as chief justice but continue to serve as a justice of the supreme court. (3) The chief justice of the supreme court shall be the administrative head of the judicial system and shall exercise this administrative authority pursuant to procedures adopted by the supreme court. The chief justice may assign any judge of a court of record to aid in the proper disposition of judicial business in any court of record except the supreme court.
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Supreme Court | Creation of the courts |